ED 'super-users' may be more vulnerable than thought

Emergency room "super-users" may pose an annoyance to staff and management as they continue to show up like a bad penny. But new research suggests that their medical needs are unmet--many have chronic conditions--and they are at greater risk of dying, according to a new study in the Emergency Medicine Journal. "Clearly, to view frequent users as merely a nuisance or drain on resources represents a narrow, biased and potentially dangerous view of this issue," the study said. Researchers suggested that hospitals try and do a better job of tracking and quantifying these frequent users in order to provide more medically appropriate care. Read the full article at FierceHealthcare